Method and apparatus for assembling capsules



April 1958 G. E. MARTELL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING CAPSULES Filed March 6, 1956 .INVENTOR. GEORGE E. MARTELL ATTORNEYS w aw {M sad A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING CAPSULES Application March 6, 1956, Serial No. 569,903

4 Claims. (Cl. 53-79) This invention relates to assembling capsules and is, more particularly, an improvement of the capsule forming apparatus described in the patent to Arthur Colton No. 1,787,777, issued January 6, 1931.

In the Colton patent there is disclosed apparatus for forming cap and body portions of capsules, for assembling these cap and body portions and for discharging from the apparatus the assembled capsule. As is clearly set forth in the patent, the machine involves the manipulation of flat bars carrying longitudinally extending rows of pins extending substantially perpendicular from the flat faces of the bars. Capsule bodies and capsule caps are formed from a gelatinous film or coating which is applied to the pins, hardened thereon and then removed therefrom. After the capsule bodies and caps are removed from the pins, the bodies and caps are trimmed to accurate length dimension and then assembled.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for assembling capsules in at least partially evacuated bores.

This and other objects of the invention relating particularly to the structure thereof will become evident from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary transverse section of the portion of the machine disclosed in the Colton patent involved in the assembly of capsule bodies and capsule caps and incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective showing of a fragmentary portion of the apparatus shown in Figure l and embodying the invention;

Figure 3 is a section through the apparatus taken on the trace 33 shown in Figure 2 showing a capsule in the process of assembly; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section through the apparatus shown in Figure 1 taken on the trace 44 indicated therein.

As previously noted in the above mentioned Colton machine, flat bars are carried through the machine and mount pins on which capsule bodies and capsule caps are formed. The bars mounting capsule body forming pins are carried along one longitudinal side of the machine and the bars mounting capsule cap forming pins are carried along the other longitudinal side of the machine. In Figure 1 there is shown bars 15) and 12 mounting pins 14 and 16, respectively, on the ends of which capsule bodies and caps 18 and 23, respectively, have been formed. At the stage in the operation of the Colton machine shown in Figure l, the bars are supported in positioning means within a retaining block 22 extending longitudinally of the machine adjacent to the longitudinal center line thereof with the pins extending horizontally outwardly from the center of the machine.

' Pairs of stripping fingers 24, as best shown in Figure 4, have their uppermost ends embracing the pins 14 and 16 in preparation for the removal of the formed capsule bodies and capsule ca s from the pins. The block or pedestal 22 is located at the center line of the msby whereupon the holders then chine and the apparatus, shown to the left of the block 22 in Figure l, handles capsule bodies. Similar apparatus positioned to the right of the block 22 but not shown in Figure 1 handles capsule caps. The following discussion will refer to the parts shown on the left of the longitudinal center line of the machine shown in Figure 1 for handling capsule bodies. It will be understood that similar apparatus is provided on the right longitudinal side of the machine for handling capsule caps. Furthermore, the apparatus described will refer essentially to the handling of only one capsule body and it should be understood that each of the bars 10 and 12 carries a row of pins and that capsule part handle apparatus such as that described is provided for handling the capsule part which has been formed on each of these pins. Each pair of stripper fingers are pivotally mounted, as indicated at 25, to a block 26 affixed to the inner end of a rod 28 which serves to position the stripper fingers transversely of the machine. A stripper cam block 30 is positioned at the lower ends of the stripper fingers and mounted on the upper end of a vertically movable rod 32 by means of which the vertical elevation of the cam block 30 is established.

As is fully disclosed in the Colton patent, apparatus is provided moving the rod 28 to carry the block 26 and the stripper fingers 24 to the positions shown in Figure l and to position the rod 32 of the cam block 30 in a position slightly above that shown in Figure 4 in order that the cams 31 in engagement with the lowermost ends of the stripper fingers 24 will part the upper ends of the stripper fingers against the urging of the spring 34 which is positioned between the lower ends of the stripper fingers. After the parts are in the position shown in Figure l, the cam block 30 is lowered and the stripper fingers will engage the pins 14 behind the capsule bodies. The rod 28 is then actuated to move the stripper fingers transversely outwardly of the machine to draw the capsule bodies off of the pins and into holders as will now be described.

A collet or capsule holder 36 extends from the righthand end of a tube 38, which is rotatably mounted in a block 40, slidably mounted on a transversely extending horizontal rod 42. A rotatably mounted shaft 44, which is also slidable transversely of the machine parallel to the rod 42 along with the block 40, serves to rotatably drive the tube 38 through spur gears 46, 48 and 5t). The right-hand end of the tube 38 is slidably mounted within a block 52. A rod 54 extends through the tube 38 and is afiixed at its left-hand end to a block 56 also slidably mounted on the rod 42.

A plate 58 extending longitudinally of the machine and positioned on a vertical plane has its lowermost edge provided with teeth 60 somewhat similar in shape to the cams 31 shown in the cam bar 30 in Figure 4. The plate 58 is mounted for longitudinal movement adjacent to the ends of the row of capsule body holders 36, and is normally positioned to permit the capsule holders 36 to pass thereunder as will be explained.

When the pin carrying bars 10 having capsule bodies formed thereon are positioned, as shown in Figure 1, the holders 36 are moved inwardly under the plate 58 by longitudinal movement of their tubes 38 guided by the rods 42 until the capsule bodies are engaged there-' move outwardly carrying the capsule bodies off of the are advanced to a position within the holders 36 sons to provide a definite length of capsule bodies between" the ends of the rods 54 and the adjacent teeth 600m the cutting blade 58. At this time the capsule holders are being rotated through the gear trains 46, 43 and 50 and the cutter blade is moved longitudinally of the machine pins 14. The rods 54 v to bring the cutter teeth 60 into engagement with the 7 capsule bodies to effect cutting of the capsule bodies to an accurate length.

The capsule holders and the cutting blade assembly are all mounted on a vertically movable support plate 62 and, as the cutting is taking place, the support plate 62 is elevated to a position in which the capsule body holders 36 are in alignment with capsule receiving blocks 64.

The capsule receiving blocks 64 are set in a vertically extending plate 65 afiixed to the upper surface of the block 22 and extend longitudinally along the center line of the machine. As is best shown in Figure 3, the blocks 64 are each provided with aligning adjoining transversely extending bores 66 and 68 adapted to receive capsule bodies and capsule caps, respectively, and to align these parts for assembly.

When the vertically movable plate 62 has reached the elevation at which the capsule holders 36 are in alignment with the bores 66 in the blocks 64, the tubes 33 are moved inwardly towards the longitudinal center of the machine to positions shown in Figure 3. Similarly, capsule caps 20, which have been removed from pins 16 on the right-hand side of the machine by apparatus similar to that described, are positioned adjacent to the bores 68 and the right-hand side of the blocks 64 by holders 37 and rods 55 extending longitudinally therethrough. When the parts are in the positions shown in Figure 3, the rods 54 and 55 are moved inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the machine and press capsule bodies and capsule caps, respectively, into the receiving bores 66 and 68 in the blocks 64. The capsule caps seat against the shoulders within the blocks at the junctures of the two bores and the right-hand ends of the caps, as viewed in Figure 3, remain in the holders 37. With the caps in this position, the bodies 18 are pressed into the caps by the rods 54.

After the capsule caps and bodies have been pressed together, the holders 36 and 37 are retracted and their elevator plates are lowered. During the retraction stroke the rods 55 press the assembled capsules out of the holders 37 whereupon the capsules fall upon a conveyor, not shown, and are thereby discharged from the machine. During the assembly of the capsules, the pin carrying bars 10 and 12, from which the capsule parts have been removed, are then passed to the next operating station of the machine and capsule part carrying pin bars are moved into position for the next successive stripping and assembling operation.

The apparatus thus far described is substantially identical to that disclosed in the Colton patent.

In the operation of this apparatus, the precision and uniformity of wall thickness of the capsule parts is such that the capsules provide an extremely snug fit within each other and within the bores 66 and 63 when assembled. As a result, diiiiculty has been encountered in the assembling operation due to the entrapment of air and expansion of the capsule bodies and capsule caps into a partially disassembled condition after their assembly. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided in conjunction with each of the blocks 64, a vertically extending bore extending from the region of juncture of the bores 66 and 68 and adapted to receive a tube 70 providing communication from the interior of the bores 66 and 68 during assembling of capsule parts therein. The various tubes '79 are connected to a longitudinally extending tube '72 which is in turn connected to a source of vacuum, not shown in the drawings, to provide a continuous removal of air from the interiors of the bores 66 and 68.

This arrangement provides, during assembly of capsule parts, for removal of air trapped between the capsule bodies and the capsule caps as they are brought together the bores 66 and 68. The vacuum applied or the air removal is such that a substantial negative pressure is caused to exist as the capsule bodies and capsule caps come together and thus only a small, if any, compression of air above atmospheric pressure takes place within the capsule as the body and cap parts thereof are assembled. Any rise of pressure above atmosphere that does exist is dissipated by a reasonably minor flow of air between overlapping portions of the capsule bodies and caps and, in any event, the pressure rise is insufficient to cause the capsule body and cap parts to be moved apart after the rods 54 are retracted.

The apparatus involved provides for the manufacture of assembled capsules at a high rate of speed and the actual assembly of capsule bodies and capsule caps takes place very rapidly. The improvement disclosed herein to the capsule manufacturing machine fully described in the Colton patent provides a simple and a highly successful solution to a problem which has given rise to much difiiculty in the operation of the machine. The improved structure by which this result is obtained is relatively simple and may be applied to a machine without necessitating any substantial modification of the machine. This is a particularly desirable consideration in view of the complexity of the assembling apparatus and the accuracy with which the parts thereof must be made and assembled.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for assembling capsule bodies and capsule caps comprising means providing adjoining aligning bores for receiving a capsule body and a capsule cap and guiding said body and cap during assembly thereof, means for delivering a capsule body and a capsule cap to said aligning bores and pressing said body and cap together therein, and means communicating with said aligning bores through which air may be withdrawn from said bores during assembly of a body and a cap therein.

2. Apparatus for assembling capsule bodies and capsule caps comprising means providing adjoining aligning bores for receiving a capsule body and a capsule cap and guiding said body and cap during assembly thereof, means for delivering a capsule body and a capsule cap to said aligning bores and pressing said body and cap together therein, a third bore extending from the region of joining of said aligning bores, and means for connecting said third bore to a vacuum source.

3. Apparatus for assembling capsule bodies and capsule caps comprising means providing an array of pairs of longitudinally aligning bores in linear side by side relation for receiving capsule bodies and capsule caps and guiding said bodies and caps during assembly thereof, means for delivering a capsule body and a capsule cap to each of said aligning bores and pressing said bodies and caps together therein, and means communicating with each of said pairs of aligning bores through which air may be withdrawn from said bores during assembly of bodies and caps therein.

4. Apparatus for assembling capsule bodies and capsule caps comprising means providing an array of pairs of adjoining longitudinally aligning bores for receiving a capsule body and a capsule cap and guiding said body and cap during assembly thereof, means for delivering a capsule body and a capsule cap to said aligning bores and pressing said body and cap together therein, a third bore extending from the region of joining of said aligning bores, and means for connecting said third bores to a vacuum source.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

